Police are 'supporting the family' of a person believed missing in the
explosion at a fireworks factory in Stafford

One person is missing after a large blaze broke out at a fireworks factory.

Two people were taken to hospital after emergency services were called to "an explosion" and fire at SP Fireworks in Tilcon Avenue, Stafford.

Worried local residents heard "a loud bang" and saw smoke coming from the factory at 5.15pm.

Superintendent Jane Hewett, of Staffordshire Police, said: "At this stage police and fire are working to establish the cause of the explosion. Sadly, we currently believe one person remains unaccounted for and police are working to support their family.

"We are currently arranging for a search of the scene once the fire has been extinguished and the scene made safe.

"The cause of the explosion remains unclear at this point. Police are working to locate everyone who had been in the premises and urge anyone with any information about those visiting SP Fireworks to call Staffordshire Police on 101."

West Midlands Ambulance Service initially said five people had been treated but later confirmed it was four - two men and two women.

Spokesman Steve Wheaton described the casualties to Sky News: "One was a male in his late 60s who has been taken to hospital with back injuries and smoke inhalation. We also took a 40-year-old male to the same hospital with serious burns."

The men were taken to University Hospital of North Staffordshire. Two women in their 40s and 50s who were suffering "mild smoke inhalation and other walking wounded-type injuries" were later allowed to leave.

Mr Wheaton said: "This is a fireworks factory and there are chemicals and things so we are not entirely sure yet what we are dealing with."

Group manager Tim Hyde of Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service told ITV News that if the missing person was inside the main part of the building, they would have been unlikely to survive. Due to the size and severity of the blaze, no firefighters would have been able to carry out a successful rescue.

He said: "There is a small area where if somebody is there and they have just fallen over and been knocked out, they would be able to survive. We are making access into that right now and we are going to search the area to confirm they are not in there.

"If they are there, we will rescue them and our ambulance colleagues will treat them immediately. "

Asked if things would look good for the missing person if they were trapped in that location, he said: "At this stage, no I'm afraid it doesn't."

After the blast, thick plumes of smoke and dramatic bursts of fireworks could be seen above the premises on a large trading estate, which had closed for the day by the time the fire broke out.

People in the Baswich area were warned to stay indoors and keep their windows closed.

A safety cordon was thrown up around the scene, which Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service had earlier described as "escalating". Up to 50 firefighters were tackling the blaze at the height of the incident, a Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said.

Lucy Grace, 15, heard the fire from her home, she said: "I was in the bathroom and I saw the fire in my friends mirror. We went to the window and then it just went up, there was this huge explosion, it shook the house, it was really scary.

"We saw them going up and I thought it was all strange because we know there weren't any local firework displays going on tonight. We started videoing and you can see it was huge."

Tom Roetom, 24, added: "I was cooking bangers and mash and suddenly there was a huge bang. So we rushed outside and it was just a huge fire and the fireworks started going off.

"It's worrying, I've been in there and bought fireworks before so it's scary to think what could have happened. It affects all the people who work there too so you hope they are ok."

Neighbour Jenny Fisher, 57, said: "It was horrific, there was this huge tower of flame and then all the fireworks went off. It was like living in a war zone, you just thought the world was ending.

"I heard people are injured, and someone said something about people being trapped, but I don't know what's going on, they won't tell us."